Not Alone
by twinley
Summary: Missing Moment from Deathly Hallows.  Hermione has just erased her parent's memories and heads to the Burrow to seek comfort and reassurance from Ron that she has done the right thing.  Two-shot.
1. Regret

**A/N: This is a missing moment from DH right after Hermione alters her parent's memories, in her POV. She reflects on her family life and childhood and heads off to the Burrow. I think at this point she would be in shock; so her thoughts kind of mirror that. She isn't fully aware of what she has done, and is slowly starting to realize it. Now, I won't tell anymore, so go on and read!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter; J.K. Rowling does.**

_Click_

With the lock firmly in place, I turned and sat on my stoop. I cannot believe I just did that. The deed was done and there was no turning back. When my parents wake up in the morning they will be completely different people. Different memories, different names, and different lives; they won't know that they have a daughter.

That's when it hit me. I pressed my palms hard into my eyes, hoping to stop the tears in their tracks. The war was actually beginning and I was going to be fighting in it. So many people that I love and care for will be fighting alongside me with their lives on the line. There was no Hogwarts to go back to and hide in. It was finally here. In a few days my friends and I will go journeying out into the world with a seemingly impossible mission: to destroy Voldemort.

I stood up and looked at my childhood home. I may never return to see it. I may never see the garden in the back, I may never see the porch in front with the swinging chair that I spent countless hours reading in. I may never see my old bedroom; the one that had barely changed since I was eleven. It was still bright pink and covered with bookshelves and stuffed animals. But gone from it were my clothes, pictures, and other personal items. They were all packed up and magically altered to fit in a single bag. I was leaving and there should be no trace of my existence.

My parents were in there. Peacefully sleeping while their memories were being replaced and altered; memories that I had decided to alter. "It was for their own safety," I continually told myself. They needed to forget me if they were to remain alive, and they needed to move far away from here.

I had come up with this plan several days ago. It seemed like a great idea at the time to alter their memories and send them Australia; but now I am wondering if it was all just a mistake. There had to be a better way to ensure their well-being. I should have asked for Ministry assistance, or better yet, help from the Order. But I needed to do this on my own; I didn't want anyone else to be responsible for their lives. I didn't like the idea of depending on someone I wouldn't have contact with taking care of them. They deserved to still be able to live without the baggage I was forcing on them.

They didn't ask to be involved in the wizarding world, and here I was placing them in the greatest danger. Throughout my years they dealt with my magical differences with forced smiles on their faces. They willingly sent me to a school that would teach me how out of place I was in the muggle world; where I would gradually grow apart from them. I became so attached to the wizarding world that we lost our connection. When I came back from school for the summer, or sometimes Christmas when I wasn't with the Weasley family, dinners became tense and living together became awkward. We weren't the same family that we were before we discovered that my idiosyncrasies were actually magic.

And I blame it on myself, really. I never gave them a second thought when I was off gallivanting in the wizarding world. I gleefully journeyed off to the Weasley's without a backwards glance, and I regret not seeing the looks of pain on my parent's faces. Looking back, I wish they would have forced me to stay home with them for a little bit longer. Even if it was just to create memories for me to cherish when I tried to look back on my fleeting childhood.

As I stood looking at my old house I tried to recall memories of us as a family. All I that I can remember of us being a "true family" was before Hogwarts. Strained dinner conversations are not what makes family a family. And even though we were a family, we weren't _really_ a family, no matter how much we sometimes tried. And I will never get a second chance. What's done is done, and another grief is added to the long list of regrets that has been growing over the years.

All I had was a couple weeks with them in which I tried to be the best daughter I could. I attended dinner parties, went shopping with my mother, watched futbol with my father, and played muggle board games with them on the weekends. It may have been too little too late, but it was all I could give them: one last chance to be a family before I completely removed all recollection of our past lives.

I finally turn away from my house and start walking down the sidewalk. I have no destination in mind. I understand that I will need somewhere to stay now, and I know it will be at the Burrow. But I wasn't ready to face them yet, I couldn't deal with all the questions from Ginny, and I certainly would not be able to face Ron.

There has been so much tension between the two of us since the whole Lavender Brown situation, and I have no clue where we stand. One minute we are getting along perfectly, and the next we are shouting our throats raw in another one of our infamous fights. My emotions at the moment are so crazy, and seeing him so quickly afterwards would leave me in an awful state.

My feet had subconsciously led me to the park I had often visited as a little girl. A small smile inches on my face as I sit on a swing. I remember when my dad would push me, and I would ask him with laughter in my voice to push me higher and higher. And he would, he would give me a mighty push and I would squeal with excitement.

But now I just sit here, dragging my shoes in the dirt only going high enough so my feet are still touching the ground. I sat there on the swings for hours relishing in memories of the past. I was unaware of the approaching darkness. The streetlights around the park lit up, alerting me to the fact that I should be on my way. I stood up and gave one last look to my childhood playground, fully aware that I may never see it again.

I felt a stinging in my eyes, and I became aware of the fact that I was crying. Who knows for how long I had, but I knew that once I started it would be difficult to stop. I started walking towards the woods on the outskirts of the park, knowing that I needed to apparate before I became too hysterical.

I let out a final sigh as I leaned against the base of a random tree. I noticed some strange markings along the bark, and I silently lit up my wand to see what the strange words were. Once the faint glow lit up the side of the tree, it was clear what the strange markings were. They were carved out initials of couples proclaiming their love. To me it seemed like a tradition for fools who were blinded by lust. Carving you and your loved one's name didn't make your love real.

But at least these muggles had someone to hold onto, even if just for that moment. Where I was going on an adventure where love was forced to the back of the mind. I had to be alert for Harry, and a relationship would only get in the way. I traced my fingers along the bark forming the letters _HG _and _RW_ silently wishing that someday, once we live through this war, that we will get to partake in this silly tradition.

I suddenly realized what I was going to be fighting for in this war. I was going to fight for a world where it would be safe for my family to live, a world safe for me to start my own family, and a world where Ron and I could _finally_ have a chance at a relationship.

With this thought in mind, I turned in my spot with my mind set on the one place where I felt truly at home: the Burrow. I didn't allow myself another look at my house or the playground full of memories knowing that I would break down again.

After properly accomplishing the three D's, I arrived on a hill about a kilometer away from the Burrow. As I walked I could see the disfigured home from a distance. It looked just as I remembered it, except the outside was a tad cleaner than usual. I had forgotten all about Bill and Fleur's wedding; I guess there has been too much on my mind lately.

I had never been to wizarding wedding, but I have been to a muggle's. I guess it will be a learning experience of sorts. I am pretty sure that I have a book that I can read up on beforehand in order to familiarize myself with the traditions. I have a feeling that once I experience this wedding, I will have a hard time getting it out of my head. I need to focus my attention on Harry during the hunt, and if my imagination strays to images or Ron and I at our own wedding, I may not be of much help.

Speaking of Ron, his room's light appears to be off; as does most of the house's. I look at my watch and sigh as I not that the time was a little past midnight. I must have stayed longer on that swing set than I had imagined. I quietly approach the front door hoping to not awaken anyone in the silent house.

I opened the door and peered into the dimly lit kitchen. I could smell the chicken pot pie that they must have had for dinner, and spotted leftover chocolate cake. I find it hard to believe that there would be any dessert leftovers, but the war and wedding preparations must have already caused a toll on the Weasley family.

My stomach growled reminding me that I hadn't eaten since lunch, over twelve hours ago. I spied the cake again, and looked around for signs of anyone in the family before I set my bag down and headed toward the counter. I felt slightly guilty, but I hoped that the chocolate would cure the gaping hole in my heart that I caused a few hours previously.

I grabbed a plate and silently summoned a fork and sat down to eat the cake as quickly and quietly as possible.

I heard the steps creaking from down the hall and silently cursed myself when I realized that I had accidentally awoken somebody. Mrs. Weasley appeared in the doorway looking awfully tired and seemed to have aged years more since the last time she saw her. However, Mrs. Wealsey's worn appearance did not stop her from greeting me in her typical fashion: a large hug that squeezed the breath from my lungs.

"Oh, Hermione, dear, we didn't think you were coming until later this week," Mrs. Weasley gushed as she let go of me. I sadly nod my head and I cannot help but to try and recall the last time I had hugged my own mother.

Mrs. Weasley noticed my far off expression, and pulled me in closer for a final hug. I broke down in her arms, and she held me tighter. She didn't need to ask what was wrong and I came to realize I had had come to know her as a second mother.

I wiped my eyes and pulled away after a couple of minutes. I sniffled and whispered a muffled "thank you" and turned around to clean up the mess I had made.

She quickly rushed to my side, "There is no need, dear. You have had quite a long night. I will take care of cleaning this up and you head upstairs to get a good night's rest." She reached out to grab my plate, and I quickly discovered where Ron got his stubbornness from.

Her actions were much appreciated and I offered her another thanks as I levitated my trunk up the stairs. I silently let them fall outside Ginny's room, but I didn't stop in. I knew that Ginny would respect my wishes to not discuss the situation, but she was not the Weasley that I needed to see the most.

**A/N: Yes, a little bit of a cliffhanger! But don't worry, unlike my other story I have the next chapter written and ready to go. I need to read it over and check for mistakes still, but maybe more responses will speed me up? Hmmm… possibly!**

**Anywhos, I would love to hear what you think! So please REVIEW REVIEW!**

**Hearts, **

**Twinley**

**P.S. If you have any suggestions for other missing moments I could write, let me know!**


	2. Hope for the Future

**A/N: I want to start off by thanking everyone who read this story. But I want to especially thank those that reviewed, alerted and favorited the story as well: you guys seriously make my day! Also, I would like to thank my sister for reading this over, telling me what I needed to fix and what worked. So read on!**

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter. I never have, and I never will!**

I hastened up the stairs until I stood outside of Ron's door willing my tears to stay put. I gave a hesitant knock and quietly walked in hoping to find Ron in the early stages of sleep and not in a deep slumber. I would feel awful if I woke him up from his dreams.

But I didn't need to worry. It had seemed as if Ron was aware of my presence and was blinking rapidly trying to discern my figure in the darkness. Once he realized who I was, he motioned me forward, and I sat on his bed.

As my eyes too became accustomed to the darkness, I took in Ron's appearance. His red hair seemed to be recently cut, but that didn't stop it from sticking out in all directions. His ocean blue eyes were open with concern and I quickly dropped my eyes to his chest. His muscles could be seen through his white undershirt and I couldn't seem to take my eyes off of them; I will never complain about Quidditch again!

I averted my eyes back to his Chudley Cannon orange sheets. I gave a small smile knowing that some things never changed, despite how much his body matured. We were quiet for a few minutes as I drew random shapes on his sheets and he silently gazed at me. I knew he was desperate to know why I was there unannounced, but he kept his mouth shut knowing I wasn't ready to talk.

Finally, tears started pouring down my cheeks and I couldn't help but to wonder where this endless supply seemed to come from. He immediately pulled me into his arms. I grabbed onto his t-shirt, balling it in my fists as he gently rocked me back and forth. I was surprised to discover how much Ron had matured over the year, and I was glad that the Ron that supported me during Dumbledore's funeral had not gone away.

I cried harder for my Headmaster's death, and shed more tears for the deaths that were coming. I felt him pull me down into a lying position and placed my head beneath his chin. I could feel his own tears falling into my hair, and I held onto him tighter as we wept together.

We laid there for what seemed like hours, but once my supply of tears seemed to run out, he pulled my face from his neck and gently brushed the tears from my cheeks. I gave him a soft smile as I straightened out the shirt I had wrinkled.

He looked into my eyes and gently said, "I missed you."

I blushed slightly and replied, "I missed you too." It had only been two weeks since we had last seen each other, but it had felt like two months. I had discovered in our brief absence that Ron was my rock, and that without him I would be a complete and utter mess.

I laid my head onto his shoulder keeping eye contact the entire time.

"Do you want to go to sleep?" He whispered to me. I shook my head. Even though I was worn out from the day's events, I was not ready to dive into the world of my subconscious that was often plagued by nightmares.

"Then, do you want to talk about what happened?" I shook my head again at his whisper. He nodded his head as if he understood that I would talk to him when I was ready.

"Alright then," he let out a quiet chuckle, "what do you want to do?"

I looked up into his eyes, "I just want to lay with you." Normally I would have felt embarrassed by this statement. But I wasn't, for the first time in awhile I was being completely honest with myself and him.

"I can do that," he smiled his wonderful lopsided smile at me as he pulled me closer to him in his arms.

We stayed like that for an hour at least. He continued to hold me in his arms as we strained to keep our eyes open enough to look at each other.

"Ron," I whispered breaking the comfortable silence.

He gave me a quick squeeze as he replied, "Yes, Hermione?" I could smell chocolate in his breath and I wondered if he could smell the same scent in mine.

"I changed my parent's memories." I kept my voice at a whisper subconsciously, and Ron did the same.

"How did it go?" I was eternally grateful at his question. If he didn't support me and my actions I don't know what I would have done.

I looked down as I responded, "Good, I hope. They seemed to be sleeping peacefully when I left."

Despite my head facing away from his, Ron had heard me perfectly. He had somehow sensed my insecurity and gently placed his fingers under my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"Hermione, I am sure that you did the spell perfectly." He said it with such sincerity that I was forced to believe him. "You have never messed up a spell, so why would you start now?"

"I was just such an emotional wreck, Ron! I hadn't told them what I was doing! And their eyes, you should have seen their eyes when I pointed my wand at them! They were so scared, like it was their worst nightmare coming true. I-I just feel so awful inside!" I buried my face in the crook of his neck again not wanting to look him in the eyes. I didn't want to see his disappointment or the same look of horror that I saw on my parent's faces.

He respected my wishes and didn't force me to look in his eyes again. But his soothing words and the movement of his hands up and down my back washed some of my worries away. "You did the right thing, 'Mione. This is a war we are in, and even though they don't know, you kept them safe."

I nodded my head in response. I may have not liked my actions, but I did it for a reason: to keep my parents safe.

The way Ron said the word "war" so nonchalantly made me shiver. What we have been preparing for the past few years has finally come. Voldemort was at large, and we were going to fight him. But first we had to embark on a long and difficult journey to destroy parts of his soul.

I lifted my head off his shoulder and looked him in the eyes offering him a small smile of thanks for his comforting words. He returned my smile keeping eye contact the entire time.

"Are you scared?" At first I thought he hadn't heard me due to his lack of response, or that he didn't understand what I was referring to. But he broke our staring contest and murmured a soft "yes." I gave him a slight nudge, urging him to continue.

He seemed to understand my gesture for he took a deep breath and continued.

"Yes, I am scared. I am scared for my family, friends, Harry, and you, especially you." He pulled me further into his embrace. "If you got hurt, or..or" he took a deep breath before he continued, closing his eyes as if he was forcing the thought away, "I don't know what I would do without you."

"I don't know what I would do without you." I repeated back with the same amount of feeling. I sat up slightly pushing my elbow into his bed and brushed my lips across his cheek. His ears turned a faint pink and I couldn't help but blush either. "Don't ever leave me." I command as I pull back, keeping eye contact the entire time.

Without any hesitation he responded, "I promise." We shared a grin as I settled back into his arms.

"Good." I nodded seriously. I felt rather than heard him chuckle. "What exactly is so funny, Ronald?" I tried to sound stern, but I couldn't help but to allow a giggle out.

"You just sound so official, is all. You should work in the Ministry when we get out of this war. You could be that lady that sends those warning howlers."

I couldn't help but to laugh at his suggestion. But I didn't fail to notice his use of "when," and it made me smile even larger. "So what will _you_ be doing when the war is through?" I asked, thoroughly interested in whether he still wanted to pursue his dream of being Auror.

"I'll be the bloke receiving those howlers of course!" We both busted out laughing, but a creak from the stairs silenced us. We looked at the door waiting for someone to come in and tell us to be quiet.

When nobody came in, I turned back to Ron, "No really, what are you going to do?"

Ron scrunched up his eyebrows in thought and I was glad that he was taking my question seriously. "I think," he began, moving his hands from my back and into my hair twirling pieces of my hair around his fingers, "that I will be an Auror." He mumbled the answer, not looking me in the eyes. This is very typical of him not to believe in himself. If he can support me in my decision with my parents, then I can certainly support his wish to be an Auror.

I placed my hands onto his chest, "Even after fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters?" I asked with a bit of awe in my voice.

"Well, yeah I think so. I mean, I want to do whatever it takes to keep my family safe." He looks me meaningfully in the eyes.

"Your family?" I repeated.

"Yeah, my wife and children." His ears pinkened again, and I felt his gaze moving away from me again. His answer made me fall for him even harder; I couldn't believe how selfless his answer was.

"You want children?" I asked, trying to picture myself into his future.

He nodded his head, "Maybe like two or three."

I smiled in response, "I always pictured myself with a boy and a girl."

"No matter what gender they are," he grinned, "I am sure that they will be as brilliant as their mum." I flushed red at his compliment.

"Well, maybe. But hopefully, they will be sweet and funny like their father." I moved my hands to loosely encircle his neck.

He moved his arms back around my waist, "Do you have anyone in mind?"

I moved one of my hands to brush the fringe in front of his eyes, "I think I have an idea."

His eyes closed at my touch and I feared that he had fallen asleep on me. I took that time to appreciate how much Ron had matured in such a short space of time. He hadn't brought up Viktor, or even Harry for that matter. Maybe he, like myself, started to have faith in our relationship, whatever it was.

He slowly opened his eyes again to stare at me with his lop-sided grin, "Aren't you going to ask me about my kids?"

"All right," I played along, "tell me about your kids."

"Well," he started, "of course they are going to be red-headed."

"Of course," I replied tugging on his ginger locks.

"But unlike me, they are going to have gorgeous brown eyes like their mother, in which you can get lost in for hours." He said softly, gently brushing my cheek. He stared deeply into my eyes, and I felt as if he could see my soul.

"Where are you going to find this girl with these amazing eyes?" I asked, unconsciously holding my breath.

"I think I have an idea." He smirked. It was amazing what those six words could do to me. For one of the first times I felt like a future with him was possible. That he might actually feel the same way for me as I do for him.

I wish that I could stay up the entire night talking to Ron, envisioning a future together. But my body was worn out and it surrendered with a yawn. Ron responded with a yawn of his own after seeing mine.

"Are you ready to sleep now?" He asked softly.

I nodded my head and snuggled closer. He wrapped his arms tightly around me, and I tightened my hold on him in turn.

"Ron," I called out again.

"Yes," he answered struggling to keep his drooping eyelids from closing all the way.

"Can we talk about our future again?" I asked in desperation, accidentally letting "our" slip. I knew that the continuation of this conversation would keep me sane throughout the hunt. It will give me something to look forward to and fight for when I feel like giving up.

"Of course," he answered tenderly, "every night if you want to."

We both shared a grin, and Ron pulled the blanket tighter around us.

"Goodnight, Ron." I called softly into the darkness once we settled in.

"Night, 'Mione." We both closed our eyes and I quickly felt the call to a deep slumber.

But before I could fall under the sandman's spell, I opened my eyes and placed a second kiss on Ron's cheek, "thank you" I whispered and closed my eyes again.

He mumbled something in response, but I couldn't distinguish any words. I was dimly aware of the fact that I had not changed out of the shorts and tank top that I worn the entire day, but I was too tired to care. That, and I didn't want to disturb the comfortable embrace that we had fallen into.

When I first arrived to the Burrow, I feared that sleep would only ensure nightmares. But after being comforted by Ron and discussing life after the war, I knew my dreams would be filled with our future of a family together. My mind would form a picture of two red-headed children with dark brown eyes who are not only smart, but sweet and funny as well.

My dreams were filled with hope, and I couldn't wait until they became reality.

**A/N: So there it is! I started writing this story with a specific storyline in my head, but the story started to take itself in a different direction, and who was I to stop it? So thank you for reading and be sure to REVIEW REVIEW!**

**Hearts,**

**Twinley**

**P.S. According to Microsoft Word, a synonym for future is hope, which I thought was cute!**


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